Greenhouse Gas Relief Bill Pt 2
I'm Bob Larson. House Bill 1985, introduced by Representative Jacqueline Maycumber, would give regulatory relief to farmers on greenhouse gas emission rules to help maintain the ag industry in Washington.
But, Maycumber says it's not the first time an industry has needed protection ...
MAYCUMBER ... "We shut down the steel industry. We continue to buy it. We patted ourselves on the back and called ourselves environmentalists and now we build buildings with steel from across the ocean, with little to no environmental standards. And, we're not even discussing the humanity problems that come with purchasing products that don't have living-wage jobs. But, to really reflect on making sure you buy local, buy from the local farmers, keep this commodity in Washington, and allow this commodity to grow globally and send it out."
Maycumber says as global leaders in things like grains, wine, and apples, why would we go somewhere else to get them?
MAYCUMBER ... "When you compare apples and say, we don't want an apple industry in the state of Washington and we're going to tax that much like the governor's proposal. So, what happens is, I say let's look at the Department of Ecology compare an apple from Washington state and an apple from overseas and say well, what is the emissions of those two apples? So, you're literally comparing apples to apples and so you're literally getting the emissions release of that commodity."
Tune in tomorrow for more on Maycumber's bill that would give ag producers some welcome relief from regulations and taxes that could run many producers out of business.
